The president is seeking to advance his military agenda on two fronts this week, seeking a quick withdrawal from Syria and an influx of U.S. troops on the U.S.-Mexico border.

By NTK Staff | 04.04.2018 @10:00am

Two headlines in The Associated Press (AP) on Wednesday highlight how President Trump is putting his “America First” philosophy into action, particularly on issues concerning the military and foreign policy.

Though the policies cannot be seen as a one-for-one trade – it’s unlikely U.S. troops will be going from Syria to the border, as an influx of troops at the border would mostly involve the National Guard – they are examples of the Trump administration withdrawing from the world stage and focusing on the homeland.

Whether either move happens is, of course, another question entirely.

On the Syria front, AP noted that Trump’s advisers, including Secretary of State-designate Mike Pompeo, are against a quick and sudden withdrawal from Syria. Many of those advisers argue such a move would invite a resurgence of ISIS in the war-torn nation.

Later in the day, Trump met with his national security team to discuss Syria.

According to officials familiar with the preparations for the meeting, Trump’s entire national security team, including CIA chief Mike Pompeo, who has been nominated to be the next secretary of state, strongly advised against a hasty withdrawal from Syria.

More likely, though, is some movement of U.S. troops to the U.S.-Mexico border. AP reported such a campaign would involve the National Guard, and is not without precedent on a national scale.

It wasn’t immediately clear exactly how the proposal would work or what kind of troops Trump wanted to deploy, but the White House later said Trump wanted to mobilize the National Guard.

…But over the past 12 years, presidents have twice sent National Guard troops to the border to bolster security and assist with surveillance and other support.

If Trump can successfully withdraw U.S. troops from Syria quickly it may embolden Russia and Iran in the region, advisers and experts warned. But under “America First,” that may be a result the president finds acceptable.